Renovating your office can help you achieve a complete transformation of the feel and look of your company. Additionally, making vital improvements to your workplace can even contribute to an increased level of productivity and an improved impression with your clients, visitors, and customers.
With that being said, you need to ensure that you have in place an adequate budget range for the project, ensuring that you have a clear upper limit. We have seen many renovation projects in our industry go over budget, resulting in incomplete or unsatisfactory renovations. Hence, it is imperative that your renovation strategy creates improvements that will benefit your company rather than hurt it.
In this guide, we have compiled six budgeting tips that will help you achieve an efficient renovation project without having to spend unnecessarily.
What does an office renovation entail?
Office renovation, also known as office remodelling, is a process that allows your company to update and repurpose its existing space. In regard to business prospects, one might decide to renovate their office space for several reasons, such as:
Meeting updated building standards and codes
Redesigning the space and its flow after changing the overall office work style
Requiring more specific spaces, such as individual offices and conference rooms
Aligning the office space interior design according to the company’s evolving needs
A renovation project will transform the space for your employees, visitors, customers, and clients, leaving everyone with a newer and brighter space that is welcoming and inviting.
Office renovation checklist
As you begin renovating your office, there are many elements to consider, such as:
Identifying clear goals: What are your priorities? What do you hope to accomplish at the end of the project?
Consulting with interior designers: Ensure that your design vision is well translated into a functional design.
Letting your company know about the renovation plan: Your employees need to know what to expect during the renovation period.
Setting a clear budget: Know how much you are willing and able to spend.
Walking through your current space and maximising its potential: Take a thorough look at your current space. Observe how your employees work to see how the office is being utilised so that you can find the best possible way to maximise its design, safety, and efficiency.
At the end of the day, no matter what your final commercial office designs are like, they should ensure that they boost and maintain your company’s needs. Office renovations fail because they do not have a clear design plan right from the start.
There should be a purpose and reason behind every changing detail and not just serve as an aesthetic improvement. Here are six tips to help you keep within your renovation budget.
1. Ensure that you have a solid plan before commencing your renovation and stick to it!
When you have a solid design plan in place, you are more likely able to keep within your budget. Ensure that you conduct thorough research on every aspect of your office that will be part of the renovation project. Do not underestimate any element and stick close to your design plan as much as possible.
Renovations tend to exceed the initial budget when you keep on making modifications to the design plan throughout the renovation. Those seemingly tiny changes can lead to double your initial budget unsuspectingly.
2. Let your engaged commercial designer know of your budget ahead of time
Renovation project costs as much as you are willing to spend. Hence, let your engaged commercial designer know of your budget even before the designing process. By doing so, your designer can work to the best of their ability and keep within your budget instead of offering tons of solutions that might lead you to spend unnecessarily, leaving you to struggle with completing your renovation project.
3. Reuse fixtures and features that do not require replacement
You may be considering replacing outdated or dated equipment and furniture and upgrading them with newer or better ones during your renovation process. However, if they still are functioning well and serve their purpose, you might not need to replace them, saving you significantly. You do not have to change your office completely. Reusing some fixtures and features that are still functional will help cut as much cost as possible.
4. Invest in quality where it matters
Ensuring that your office renovation is kept within budget does not mean that your final office design ends up appearing cheap. You can achieve a high-quality design yet maintain affordability by investing in quality where it matters, such as reception furniture, office ergonomics, or rest area. Quality materials guarantee that they last longer, meaning you will not have to replace them for a good couple of years.
5. Ensure that you have a functional office design for a growing business
Having to conduct a remodelling every time your business grows and expands is going to cost your company a lot of money. Hence, one way of mitigating the need to remodel is to consider a functional office layout plan. Some questions you can ask yourself when planning such an office design include:
What is your current office strength?
How many meeting rooms do you need? Perhaps you can incorporate the use of moveable partitions to create such spaces when necessary.
Do you need individual workstations, or are you planning to have an open office concept?
Observe your office dynamics to determine how you can narrow in on specific needs to ensure a well-budgeted renovation project.
6. Engage an interior designer to oversee your renovation project
There are two routes you can go about renovating your office: Engaging a commercial interior designer or DIY and engaging a contractor. Both have their own benefits.
An interior designer will provide spatial and design ideas and 3D drawings, as well as coordinate and oversee the renovation process and offer advice on décor and furniture shopping. However, they typically command a more premium price.
On the other hand, a contractor will take specific design instructions from you, paying less attention to design details. They do not provide 3D drawings and are not responsible for coordinating and overseeing your renovation process. They typically carry out your design plan.
While neither is better than the other, engaging an interior designer is a better choice, especially if you do not have the fundamental knowledge of renovation and want to keep to the budget as close as possible. Not only do they have a professional background, but they will oversee your renovation project from end to end, ensuring that your project is kept on track in terms of schedule and budget.
Conclusion
An office renovation project, when completed right, will help to enhance your company’s image for everybody who steps foot into the space. Additionally, a refreshing and functional design with features specific to your employees’ needs can also boost morale, productivity, and comfort.
Every office design is unique. Hence, knowing the right requirements for your renovation project is vital. OSCA is one of the leading commercial interior design firms in Singapore and beyond Southeast Asia. Our award-winning solutions redesign your corporate space into one that improves the overall aesthetic and functionality. Head over to our website to check out our portfolio and consult our team about your new office design today!